#9 Fords Top Swarthmore
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Fords' freshman attack Max Hjelm scored six goals and added an assist to lead #9 Haverford past Swarthmore 10-4 in Centennial Conference men's lacrosse action Saturday afternoon on Clothier Field.
Sophomore attack Tyler Bradshaw (Marietta, Ga. / Lassiter) had two goals in the regular season finale for the Garnet (8-7, 1-7 CC).
Prior to the first face-off, Swarthmore honored its seven departing seniors: defenseman and captain Drew Bonessa (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Shady Side), attackman Alex Hahn (Sykesville, Md. / Chapelgate), attackman Chris Harman (New Market, Md. / St. John's Prospect Hall), goalie and captain Frank Mazzucco (Redding, Conn. / Joel Barlow), defenseman and captain Dan Sartori (Darien, Conn, / Darien), midfielder Ivano Ventresca (Macungie, Pa. / Emmaus) and midfielder Adam Winegar (Chatsworth, N.J. / Lenape).
Haverford’s goals came early and often, as the Fords (11-3, 6-2) jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back. Hjelm (Devon, Pa. / Conestoga) scored the first two goals of the contest, while senior midfielder Dean Granoff (Wynnewood, Pa. / Friends Central) scored a goal and handed out two assists in the first 15 minutes.
The Fords continued to dominate in the second, as Hjelm scored three times to give Haverford an 8-0 half-time lead.
Swarthmore was able to get on the board early into the second half, as junior midfielder Todd Friedman (Miami, Fla. / Miami-Palmetto) scored an unassisted goal with 8:56 remaining in the third. Bradshaw scored with 10 seconds remaining in the quarter, making the score 8-2 going into the final period.
In the fourth, Garnet sophomore midfielder Anthony Phalen (Needam, Mass. / Needham) netted a goal off a pass from junior attack Stelios Wilson (Moorestown, N.J. / Moorestown) with 10:38 remaining, and Bradshaw scored again in the final minute, but the Garnet were unable to mount a comeback.
Haverford senior goaltender Jake Mendlinger (New Hyde Park, N.Y. / New Hyde Park) made 12 saves in net for the Fords. Mazzucco (pictured right) made seven stops between the pipes for Swarthmore.
Sartori, junior midfielder Ben Young (Washington, D.C. / St. Alban’s), and sophomore defender Max Wilson (Great Falls, Va. / Langley) each picked up four ground balls for the Garnet.
The Garnet concluded the 2008 regular season with a winning 8-7 overall record and a perfect 7-0 record against non-conference opponents.